Hydraulic slip setting means



31, 1954 E, A, DUNN HYDRAULIC SLIP SETTING MEANS Filed June 16,` 1952 llllllllll l1 MIA m Inl. l 1. lll.'

Patented Aug. 31, 1954 UNITED- sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2,687,778 HYDRAULIC sLIP SETTINGMEANS Ernest'A.,Dunn, Long Beach,` Calif., assignor to J. B; Nelson, Long Bea`ch,Calif.

Application June 16, 1952; SeraliNo. 293,819

2 Claims. l 1

This -invention` relates to la means of hydraulically setting. theslips on anoil-well tool, such asia gravelypackingtool, aiwasher, or other similaroil well? tools, the purpose being to suspend thel tool iwithin the bore of a well-and preferably within Ythe casing of that Well.

An objec-tzof my invention is lto provide a novel means-tofhydraulicallyiset'the slips of` an oil `well tool, which-consists of an external longitudinally slidable sleeve-within one position thereof, pro-` novel means of hydraulically setting the slips ofl anoiltwell'ftool, which consistsin providing ports in the bodyof the tool-with which a control piston isl-a'lignable to direct-,fluid under pressure directly into these ports,` to hydraulically. press the sleeve andthe `ring in-opposite directions `for the purpose previously stated Another feature ofA my invention. is to provide anlexternalsleeve andan external ring on the outside ofthe oil tool body, the sleeve and the ringrbeingboth slidableland inr opposite directions,- andto providea hydraulic means of "moving irst` the sleeve inonen direction, and then the ring@infanother` direction, `thereby first releasing the slips formovement on the body ofthe tool and `subsequently moving the .slips `under hydraulic, pressure.

Other objects,.advantages andfeatures of invention may appear from the accompanyingv drawing, rthe `subjoinedh detailed V description and' the appended claims;

Figure Lisafragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a gravelpackingto'olembodying my inventiomand in which the slips are in retracted position.

FigureZfisairagmentary longitudinal lsectional view"- offtlfierslip-portion oft annoillwell toolfem` bodying my invention, and showing the external sleeve in position to release the slips.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Figure 2, but showing the slips in set position engaging the casing.

(Cl. 16S-212) 2l 1*"igure4` isa; fragmentary perspective View of` the `ring :and -sleeve construction.`

Referringmore particularly to the drawing, the numeral le indicates the usual casing in an oil Well and 2\ indicates a cylindrical oil well tool,

such as' a gravel packing toolwhichisruninto thewell for the purpose of' depositing a gravel layer or-bed attherbottomofthe well. The tool here shown deposits gravel in abedat-the bottom of a well, thegravel `is carried'in a stream-of mud and'water under pressure, alloi which is usual andfwell-knownin the art. Thegravelremains behind in'a bed'at the bottom of a-well; while theniud` and water return yupwardly to the surface and are then :recirculated Other tools, such as pressure washers and the like,- may; also `employ myslip setting means.

An annular tapered'seati 3,- isprovided on the outsideoffthe body 4 of 4thetool Zand a plurality imassembledposition against Athe seat by means of4 a circular spring 6. Each of the slips 5 are formedwith azdepending skirt# whichis formed with an inwardly projecting ange 8. This flange' fits into anannular groove!) formed-inthe bo'dy 4,' the flanges tting into this groove in the retracted position of the slips `as shown in Figure 2:

Tofpositivelyhold the slips 5 in their retracted position until it is-idesired4 to set thetool initsV positionin the casing l, I provide an-external sleevel which isimounted on the outside ofthe l tooltbody llwand is spaced iromthe outer surface ofl the body 4- to provide an annular pressure chamber HL One or more portsV l2 extend throughthe body t of the tool and into the chamber Il, thus-enabling the hydraulic fluidto move into the chamber II-to operatethe` sleeve it, as `will rbe further described;

When-running into the wellthe sleeve lil` extends over the skirt 'lof the slips 5 to hold the fiangesw in the groove 9, as shown in Figure 1 ofxthefdrawing. One or more shear pins i3 `extend throughthe sleeve Hl and into the body 4,

and this shear pin is of a proper diameter so that ittwillisheariirst whenhydraulic pressure is exerted-in' the chamber l i, and thus insuring that the sleeve lwill rst push downwardly to the positionlshown in Figure 2, thus releasing` the slipszvand permitting them to be subsequently.

pushedfupwardly and outwardly into setposition. The sleeve I0 engages a stop I4 on the outside of the body Ai, thus limiting the downward movement of the sleeve.

A slip setting ring I5 also surrounds the tool body 4 and is positioned within the sleeve Ill and above the ports I2. A shear pin I8 of larger diameter than the pin I3 normally holds the ring I5 in its lower position, and when hydraulic pressure is exerted in the chamber Il the sleeve I9 will rst move downwardly after the pin I3 is sheared, then the pin I5 will shear after which the ring I5 will be pushed upwardly and the skirt 'I can move out of the groove 9 and the slips 5 can be pushed upwardly and outwardly on their seats 3.

The tool 2, such as a gravel packing tool, is suspended on the usual drill pipe I'I, which terminates in a collar I8, all of which is usual and well known. A square pipe section I9 is threaded into the collar I8 and extends downwardly into the tool 2 through a head 29 on the upper end of the tool. A coupling 2l is attached to the lower end of the pipe section I9, and a tube 22 is threaded into this collar at its upper end and is xedly attached to the piston 23 at its lower end. The drill pipe I'I, the pipe I9 and the tube 22 all are tubular in form so as to provide a circular passage through which fluid can pass into the piston 23. The piston 23 is provided with laterally extending ports 24 through which the '.duid can flow into the ports I2 for the purpose of actuating the sleeve I and the ring I2, as previously described.

In the position of the piston 23, shown in the drawings, only mud and water are circulated downwardly through the drill pipe I'I and, consequently, it is a watery substance which exerts the hydraulic pressure on the sleeve Ill and the ring I5. The piston 23 is moved to another position to deposit gravel, all of which is usual and well known in the art. The piston 23 is also provided with upper and lower 0 rings 25 and 26, thus packing off the piston above and below the ports I2. The sleeve II! is also provided with a packing ring 2l adjacent its lower end to prevent leakage downwardly past the sleeve. The ring I is also provided with packings 28 to prevent leakage past this ring.

In operation the tool 2 is run into the well with the body 4 thereof resting on the collar 2I. In this position the piston 23 is so spaced within the tubular body 4 that its outlet ports 24 are in alignment with the holes I2 in the wall of the tool body 4. Hydraulic pressure is now exerted in the drill pipe I'I which first causes the pin I3 to shear and then presses the sleeve I0 downwardly against the stop I4, as shown in Figure 2.

Continued exertion of hydraulic pressure will now I shear the pin I6, causing the ring I5 to be pushed upwardly, thus pressing the slips 5 upwardly and outwardly on their seats 3 to engage the casing I,` as shown on Figure 3. The tool is now held within the casing I against accidental longitudinal movement and the piston 23 can be moved as required to another position, for the purpose of either opening other ports for washing purposes, or depositing gravel through other ports in the tool not shown, but which are usual and well known in the art.

Under certain conditions it is found that the slips 5 will move outwardly in their raised position so that the top of the ring I5 tends to slide between the slip 5 and the body of the tool. To overcome this, I provide a lug 29 on the ring, which projects outwardly therefrom. The sleeve I0 is formed with a slot 30 extending downwardly from the top thereof into which the lug 29 moves when the sleeve is in its raised position, as previously described.

Having described my invention, I claimt.

l. A hydraulic slip setting means, including an oil well tool, a tubular body on said tool, slips mounted on the outside of said tubular body and movable longitudinally of the body into set position, a slip setting means comprising a ring slidably mounted for longitudinal movement on the outside of said tubular body, said ring bearing against the bottom of said slips, a sleeve the upper end thereof fitting the outside of said ring and spaced from the tubular body to provide a chamber, the lower end of said sleeve fitting the outside of said body said body having a hole through the wall thereof communicating with said chamber whereby fluid under pressure may pass into the chamber to press said sleeve downwardly, said sleeve projecting over the lower end of the slips in the raised position of the sleeve, a pipe extending into said body to suspend the same, a piston on the lower end of said pipe and within said body, said piston tting closely within the body and said piston having a port extending laterally thereof and alignable with said hole to permit fluid to pass from said pipe through the piston and through said hole, a shear pin extending through the sleeve and into the body, a second shear pin extending through the ring and into the body, the second named shear pin being greaterV in diameter than the first named shear pin, whereby said sleeve will be actuated first and said ring will be actuated secondly.

2. A hydraulic slip setting means, including an oil well tool, a tubular body on said tool, slips mounted on the outside of said tubular body and movable longitudinally of the body into set position, a skirt depending from the slips, said tubular body having a groove therein, an inwardly projecting ange on each skirt extending into the groove, a slip setting means comprising a ring, slidably mounted for vertical movement on the outside of said tubular body, said ring bearing against the bottom of the skirts, a sleeve, the upper end thereof surrounding the ring and the lower end of the sleeve engaging and being movable vertically on'the tubular body, said sleeve projecting over the slip skirts in one position of the sleeve, said sleeve being spaced from the tubular body to provide a chamber, said body having a hole through the wall thereof communicating with said chamber whereby fluid under pressure may pass into the chamber to press said sleeve downwardly and said ring upwardly in sequence, a shear pin extending from the sleeve into the body, a second shear pin extending from the ring into the body, said rst named shear pin being of lesser diameter than the second named shear pin to permit the sleeve to be actuated before the ring on application of hydraulic pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,510,581 Boynton Oct. '7, 1924 2,328,840 OLeary Sept. 7, 1943 2,435,899 Page Feb. 10, 1948 

